The Long Way Home (Corps Security #6)(68)

“Honey, maybe this should just be immediate family?”

He steps closer, crowding my space until the phone presses against my stomach and he’s as close as he can get. I tip my head back and look up into his serious face.

“You want to stand here and tell me that doesn’t include you? What do you think we’re doing here?”

I blink.

“You are my family, Olivia.”

Oh my God.

“Okay, honey,” I dumbly say, my whole body coming alive. “Okay.”

He bends down and nuzzles his nose along the side of my neck until his lips are at my ear.

“I can’t do this without you,” he whispers.

“You don’t have to.” My answer is immediate, and my resolve is solid. If this is something he needs, I’m going to make sure he has it.

“Not ever, Olivia.”

His words slam into me, my eyes round, and I stare up at him.

“Not ever.”

“Not ever,” I echo.

Looking down, I wiggle my arms a little so I can bring the phone up between us. He gives me a little space, but not much, and I make quick work typing the response to his brother.

Zeke: We’ll be there. Let me know if we need to bring anything.

The second I send the text, he shifts to wrap his arms around me, crushing me into his body again. He drops his head to kiss me softly on my forehead, dipping down to give me another across the bruise on my cheek, before I feel him let a long breath out. We stand there in each other’s arms in this beautiful backyard haven, and I give him everything I can with this hug.

All my support, strength, and love.





“In My Veins” by Andrew Belle ft Erin Mccarley



Sway’s borrowed car comes smoothly to a stop as we pull up to the curb at Asher and Chelcie’s house. Cute older little ranch that you can clearly see has been well taken care of. The landscaping enhances the white brick house with a neat and well-manicured lawn. A few large trees grow out front, one with a tire swing that looks like it’s had a lot of use over the years. If I didn’t know better, I would assume a small child lived here.

Not a child anymore, though, is he?

My son, the boy who swung in that swing, has long since grown out of it.

And I missed every single day of his life.

Chelcie steps on to the porch with a small, too small, smile on her face. We haven’t had much time to talk aside from basic pleasantries. Even though I had been giving them both some time to talk to Zac, Asher had still gone out of his way to spend as much time as he could with me.

“Hey,” she greets us when we get closer.

“Hey,” Liv responds, but I just nod, not trusting myself to speak yet.

“Can I talk to you?” she asks me, making it clear that she wants to speak to me alone when her eyes hit Liv before returning to mine.

“Don’t want to sound like a dick, Chelcie, but that’s what we’re doing right now?”

She looks back at Olivia, then back to me. “I was hoping …”

“I know what you were hoping, and with all due respect, Olivia isn’t going anywhere. I know this is hard—for all of us—but I’m not the man I used to be. The man I am now needs his woman at his side. Please understand, I’m not trying to be disrespectful.”

She studies us for a beat before nodding.

“I … well …” She wrings her hands together, focusing on the movement before looking back up and meeting my eyes. Unshed tears fill hers. “I don’t know how to say I’m sorry for not telling you about him. It … well, if I had known what would have happened … I would have told you the day I found out.” She trails off and starts fidgeting again.

Doesn’t feel right seeing her this worked up over something she never could have planned or seen coming. Just because I don’t have romantic feelings for her doesn’t mean I don’t feel for her. She’s my child’s mother. My brother’s wife. To the old me, she was just a body. We both knew what it was then, and it was fun, but if I was honest with myself now? I feel like an absolute ass for using her that way. It doesn’t matter that she was using me just the same.

I hold up my hand to stop her. “No one could have predicted where our lives would have gone. You don’t owe me an apology, Chelcie. It’s me who owes that to all of you. Especially to you.”

She shakes her head vehemently.

“Let’s just agree to disagree then. The past can’t be changed. Far as I can tell, I owe you a whole hell of a lot more than just an apology.”

“You definitely do not,” she answers.

“You had a baby when you didn’t have to. Gave my brother a family when he didn’t think he had one left. Loved them both, and I hear Zac’s an incredible man, something else you’re responsible for. All I did was one little part in those miracles, and we both know …” I hold her gaze. “We both know Asher is the dad I never could have been back then. It happened how it was meant to happen.”

Olivia sniffles beside me at the same time Chelcie loses the fight with her tears, and they start to fall down her pale cheeks.

“I’m glad you’re back,” she finally says. “We all are.”

I swallow thickly. Nodding, I don’t trust my voice. “All of you?” Even to my own ears, my question sounds ripe with nervous fear.